As you may or may not have already guessed, this YARR is about alchemy. This alchemy system is loosely based on one originally designed by Alec.

<b>Reagents</b>

Every alchemical reagent derives its power from the fact that it contains stored elemental energy. With the proper skills and equipment, alchemists are able to draw out this energy from the reagents and use it to create magical potions and oils. A reagent may contain one of the following six types of energy:

Earth: The element of Earth is a solid, binding force, intrinsic to all mortal life. While valuable in producing healing, restorative and other beneficial potions, if mixed properly Earth reagents can also produce deadly poisons.

Fire: Fire is a force of activity and strength, often with destructive potential. Fire reagents are often used in potions which strengthen or empower the consumer.

Air: Air is a highly energetic and somewhat unstable force. Potions with effects involving energy or movement frequently use Air reagents.

Water: Water is a life-giving, cleansing force, with powers affecting the spiritual as well as the material. As such, Water reagents are used primarily in healing and curing potions, and in potions which affect the mind.

Light: Light reagents, somewhat less common than the basic elemental reagents, are sources of boundless energy. Too unstable to be used alone, Light reagents can be combined with many other potions in order to increase their strength, and are therefore an essential element of most of the more powerful potions.

Void: The essence of the Void nullifies physical and magical forces, imparting negative energy into potions. Reagents capable of storing the power of the void are rare and valuable. Potions involving the essence of the void are often dangerous, but always powerful.

Each reagent has a power rating: for example, a dragontongue root, a Fire-elemental reagent of moderate strength, has a power rating of 20. However, the blood of a red dragon, a much more powerful Fire reagent, has a power rating of 50. In general, PCs can find [or afford to purchase] reagents with power ratings roughly equivalent to their experience level. [That's if they find them at all - without herbalism skill, reagents growing in the wild are likely to go unrecognised. Even with the skill, a character isn't guaranteed to notice reagents unless he's specifically looking for them, although he may happen to occasionally stumble upon a patch growing here or there.]

The power of a potion when it is created is equal to the average power of all reagents used to produce it. If stored for a long period of time, many potions will gradually lose power; however, there are also ways to increase a potion's power after it is created.

<b>Recipes</b>

<i>Simple</i>

The preparation of simple potions requires at least one rank of Alchemy skill, and a potion-making kit. The potion-making kit includes such things as a mortar and pestle, glass tubing and filters, and is compact enough to be carried around in the Bag of Holding with no great difficulty.

Potion of Strength: Requires one Fire reagent per dose. Increases the drinker's Strength by (10 * power / level), rounded up, for a few minutes.

Potion of Endurance: Requires one Earth reagent per dose. Increases the drinker's Endurance by (10 * power / level), rounded up, for a few minutes. Maximum HP is adjusted accordingly, and current HP is increased by the difference between the previous maximum and the new maximum.

Potion of Agility: Requires one Air reagent per dose. Increases the drinker's Agility by (10 * power / level), rounded up, for a few minutes.

Potion of Wisdom: Requires one Water reagent per dose. Increases the drinker's Wisdom by (10 * power / level), rounded up, for a few minutes.

Potion of Healing: Requires one Earth reagent and one Water reagent per dose. When consumed, heals up to (50 * power) HP, though never increasing the drinker's HP above their maximum.

Potion of Cleansing: Requires one Fire reagent and one Water reagent per dose. This potion will remove most negative status effects, including poisoning and disease. The greater the power of the potion, the more thoroughly ailments are cured (a disease that would cause moderate illness in a level-10 PC, for example, would be fully curable by a level-10 potion, while one causing moderate illness in a level-20 PC would only be partially cured by the same potion). However, the potion cannot remove curses or most other magically-caused effects; nor can it restore drained experience.

Potion of Levitation: Requires one Earth reagent and one Air reagent per dose. The drinker begins levitating a few inches above the ground. While they will still be affected by gravity, they will usually fall slowly enough to catch the edge of a pit, and if they do fall will suffer no damage. Duration = (1 hour * power / level).

Potion of Smoke: Requires one Fire reagent and one Air reagent per dose. This potion is highly volatile, and if its vial is uncorked or shattered it will immediately vaporise into a cloud of thick black smoke. While not harmful, the smoke is highly effective in obscuring vision. Smoke from a potion with higher power will spread faster, cover a larger area, and remain longer; the smoke stays around for 5 seconds * power.

<i>Complex</i>

Potions created from many reagents in different ratios generally require complex procedures to produce. While they can still be made with a standard potion-making kit, they require at least two ranks of Alchemy skill to produce.

Potion of Recovery: Requires one Earth reagent, two Water reagents and one Fire reagent per dose. Similar to a Potion of Cleansing, but much more powerful - an otherwise fatal illness in a level-5 PC would be fully cured by a level-5 Potion of Recovery, while a level-5 Potion of Cleansing would merely make the illness non-fatal. The Potion of Recovery can restore drained experience and reduce the effects of most temporary curses, but will not remove cursed items.

Potion of Poison: Requires two Earth reagents, one Fire reagent and one Air reagent per dose. If the contents of this brew are ingested, the drinker must save vs. Poison or die (percentage success rate (40 + Endurance) / power * level, adjusted for Poison resistance.) If the potion is used to cover a bladed weapon, the weapon will moderately poison the next few targets it hits (damage from this poisoning is proportional to the potion's power). If a flask containing this potion is shattered, a cloud of poisonous gas is released, inflicting (25 * power) poison damage on an entire band and mildly poisoning them. Neither the statistics of the person shattering the flask nor those of the victims affect this damage; only the random factor and the victims' Poison resistances are considered.

Potion of Fiery Breath: Requires one Fire reagent, one Air reagent and one Light reagent. The drinker is endowed with the ability to breathe fire, inflicting an average of (30 * power) points of Fire-based damage on an entire band. One potion allows one fiery breath. Neither the breather's statistics nor those of his opponents have any effect on this damage; the only things that vary the damage are randomisation and the opponents' Fire resistances.

Potion of Restoration: Requires one Water reagent, one Earth reagent and one Light reagent per dose. If the drinker's level is less than or equal to the power of the potion, the drinker's HP are fully healed; otherwise, the drinker recovers up to (100 * level) HP (but is never healed above their maximum HP).

Potion of Raw Mana: Requires one Air reagent, one Water reagent and one Light reagent per dose. This powerful but slightly hazardous potion increases the drinker's SP and AP by an amount equal to (25 * power / level), possibly above the normal maximum. However, the drinker must make a successful saving throw (percentage success rate equal to (40 + Endurance) / power * level), or suffer (20 * power) points of non-elemental damage as the uncontrolled flow of energy disrupts their metabolism. (Optional: If not using the SP/AP rules, potions of raw mana instead increase magical damage by 50% * power / level for the next minute or two.)

Potion of Heroic Might: Requires one Earth reagent, one Fire reagent and one Light reagent per dose. All damage inflicted by the drinker for the next minute or two is increased by (25% * power / level).

<i>Advanced</i>

Advanced potions cannot be made using tools that can be easily carried around; they require sensitive and complex equipment which can only be stored in a fixed laboratory. Therefore, to produce these potions, a character must have at least 3 ranks of Alchemy skill and access to a suitably-equipped laboratory. Because of the expense involved in producing these potions, the recipes of the vast majority of them are closely-guarded secrets, which must be found or purchased.

Potion of Freedom: Requires two Air reagents, one Earth reagent, two Water reagents and one Light reagent per dose. The drinker is cured of any fear or paralysis effects, and protected from natural and magical fear, magical paralysis, and paralysis caused by harm to the nervous system. Depending on the power of the potion, and on the power of the fear or paralysis, the drinker may only be partially protected or cured. The duration of protection is (1 hour * power / level). The drinker can still be rendered immobile by physical obstructions such as webs.

Potion of Hatred: Requires two Fire reagents, one Earth reagent, one Air reagent and one Light reagent per dose. The drinker of this potion will immediately hate the next significant object or creature they see, and immediately attempt to destroy it every time they see it in future. The effects of this potion will end if the target of their hatred is destroyed, or if the drinker then consumes a Potion of Recovery or is affected by a similar item or spell. If the contents of a Potion of Hatred are splashed over the skin instead of being consumed, the person over whom the potion is poured will enter a blind rage for (3 rounds * power / level), rounded up. Although all damage they inflict will be doubled, they will attack allies and enemies indiscriminately, and may continue attacking a target which is already dead.

Potion of Antimagic: Requires one Water reagent, one Light reagent and one Void reagent per dose. Drinking this potion immediately dispels most magical effects the drinker is under the influence of, but it has potential side-effects; the caster's SP and AP will be reduced by (25 * power / level), and charged magical items such as potions, scrolls and wands in the caster's possession may be partially or completely discharged. If poured on a magical item, a Potion of Antimagic will immediately weaken or negate its power - this is one of the simpler ways of removing a cursed item. If the potion is thrown into an area where a magical field of some sort is active, the field may be dispelled. Some powerful magical items or effects will be unaltered or not fully negated by a Potion of Antimagic; the effects of the potion depend on a comparison of the potion's power with the strength of the magical effect it is acting against.

Oil of Pure Power: Requires one Earth reagent, one Fire reagent, one Air reagent, one Water reagent and one Light reagent per dose. This fabled potion, while difficult, time-consuming and expensive to produce, is vital to any self-respecting mage or alchemist. As one of the most concentrated forms of magical energy known, this bright red fluid is highly corrosive if it comes into contact with living flesh, inflicting (10 * power) to (50 * power) points of non-elemental damage, depending on the degree of exposure to the oil. The reason this dangerous substance is indispensable is twofold. Firstly, it can be harnessed as a compact and efficient power source for many magical devices. Secondly, Oil of Pure Power is used as an ingredient in nearly all of the most powerful potions.

<i>Master</i>

Master-level potions are firmly in the realm of the expert alchemist. In addition to being extremely difficult and expensive to produce, requiring many reagents, 4 ranks of Alchemy skill and the use of a laboratory, master-level potions are often very dangerous. However, along with these risks comes great power - curing any physical or mental ailment, granting strength and resilience far beyond normal human capacities, and even cheating death for a time are all within the power of the most experienced alchemists. Naturally, the formulas for master-level potions are not given away easily - it is doubtful whether characters will even be able to purchase many of them, so they must resort to finding recipes, or to discovering formulas themselves through experimentation.